Dante vs. Bayonetta: The Witch Dances with the Devil Chapter 27

From the ground, Bayonetta has been watching her Infernal Demon bat Dante around like a tomato in a cement mixer. She expected the Son of the Legendary Dark Knight to be just as powerful as she has heard. She has fought against Heaven’s most powerful angels including Jubilees the Creator in tough battles, but the Umbra Witch was still able to emerge victorious. So when she learned from Rodin and Enzo that Dante was the slayer of the King of the Underworld, her anticipation ran high. How could she resist challenging someone who took down the Underworld’s ruler? Bayonetta has enjoyed her battle with Dante. And everyone knows that all good things will soon come to an end. She watches him as he slowly pushes himself from the giant fist that has gored him in the chest. “It’s been fun, darling,” she says. Then Bayonetta raises one arm above her head and snaps her fingers.

Hekatoncheir spreads his six mighty arms wide and slams his fists together, crushing Dante who was left hanging in the air momentarily. The Son of Sparda’s life fluid drips from in between the giant Infernal Demon’s knuckles.

Bayonetta waits a moment for any sign from Dante. All she hears is the silence and the light breeze gently pushing tattered newspapers along the ground. “Hmm, too bad,” Bayonetta turns and takes a step, “I was looking forward to a good night kiss.” Before she takes a second step, her senses alert her back to the arms of Hekatoncheir. She turns and sees an ominous glow emitting from between the giant’s massive fists, pulsating slowly as if it were taking breaths. The energy was dark and foreboding. She has never felt anything like it before. The glowing energy soon begins emitting a portentous hum as it becomes more intense.

Suddenly, the arms of Hekatoncheir are thrown apart by the explosion of dark energy, dispelling them. Bayonetta’s cat-suit of hair reforms on her body. She looks to the sky and, for the first time since the battle started, is in shock by what she sees. Hovering in the sky above is human-like creature with a frightening appearance, wrapped in an unearthly glow. Its armor-like skin is scaly and jagged, and its eyes and chest glowed with hellfire. Upon closer examination, it appears the creature’s armored skin had a familiar shape. The red portion wrapped around the shoulders and arms like a coat with the tails hanging half down its rugged alligator skin-like legs. Red armored skin also covered the calf portion just above the creature’s clawed feet. In its talon-like hands it held an oddly familiar sword. It is Rebellion, but the sword’s already massive size is now even more impressive. The eyes of Rebellion’s skull adorned hilt glowed ominously and the mouth is agape as if the skull, or rather, Rebellion itself is laughing with wicked delight. Eyeing the sword and silver hair, Bayonetta now realizes the creature is in fact Dante. Enzo told her nothing of Dante being able to access his demonic powers, for he and Dante had already parted ways the year before the incident involving Dante’s brother Vergil and Temen-Ni-Gru where he learned more about his heritage and awakened his latent demon powers.

Dante doesn’t use his demon powers much to fight his enemies. He prefers to use his own natural abilities, resorting to using the powers of his father only as a last option. Or when he is faced with a powerful opponent like he is now. Devil Dante casts his hellfire eyes on Bayonetta. With a stone expression, he quickly draws back and whips Rebellion forward, sending a powerful energy wave screaming toward the ground.

The wave strikes with devastating impact. Street lights, mail boxes, car parts and the like are tossed around like leaves in the wind from the powerful shockwave that is generated. Cracks form in the abandoned buildings but the stubborn structures refuse to fall. The ruined furniture inside, however, doesn’t fare well as they are knocked around violently and reduced to mere fragments. Bayonetta holds her ground. In the midst of the shockwave, Devil Dante attacks. The Umbra Witch barely has time to defend. She uses Witch Time to slow him down and give herself a chance to recover and counter. To her surprise, her opponent powers through, unaffected by her time-altering magic. Devil Dante is fast upon Bayonetta leaving her with only one course of action.

Bayonetta clashes with Rebellion; however, it is not with the claws of Durga. A slim, shimmering katana has appeared to hold the massive blade of Rebellion at bay. The katana—Shihaba—is another weapon forged by Rodin. It contains powerful mystic properties. It has cut down many of Heaven’s top tier angels, but will Shihaba be able to withstand the might of a Devil Arm forged by the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda. Bayonetta struggles to hold Devil Dante back. She loses the struggle with a hard shove from Devil Dante. His force sends her flying. Bayonetta jams Shihaba into the ground, using it to regain her footing. With acrobatic flare, she pivots on the sword, aims her legs forward and fires several rounds from Parsley and Sage that have now appeared on her heels. Devil Dante bats the bullets aside and then sends a wave of demonic energy screeching across the asphalt. Bayonetta flips forward, using Shihaba like a spring board, draws the sword back upon landing and counters the energy wave with a powerful back swing. The energy wave crackles against the sleek blade of Shihaba. She instantly notices that the energy wave is much stronger now that Dante is putting more, if not, all of his dark energies into this attack. With effort, Bayonetta soon cuts the wave down. Adjusting her grip, she brings the sword down to clash with Rebellion, stopping the demon-forged blade from slicing her in two.

After being shoved back, Devil Dante calls Rebellion to action. The force of his strike resounds like thunder, pushing Bayonetta back slightly. A split moment upon impact, he releases Rebellion from his left hand and takes the blade up in his right. Whirling around, Devil Dante comes at her with vicious back slash. Again, a thunderous bell toll rings out. He switches hands again and makes for Bayonetta’s back. His attack is blocked but barely. Another hand change and Devil Dante throws a thrust that threatens to skewer her. Taking a page from him, Bayonetta takes Shihaba in her free hand and just barely knocks the demon blade away. Devil Dante makes a quick adjustment in his grip before bringing Rebellion howling back at his curvaceous opponent. His strike from overhead is successfully defended against. The force generated sends a shockwave through Bayonetta and into the asphalt beneath her feet, creating a spider-webbed network of cracks in the surface. The clashing blades grind together like sand in a vice. Devil Dante pressed his attack intent on breaking Shihaba or Bayonetta herself.

Bayonetta braces the mystic sword Shihaba with both hands. She tries to push the massive blade back but not even her superhuman strength can win out against Devil Dante’s oppressing power. More cracks form in the asphalt as the transformed Son of Sparda exerts more pressure. Bayonetta struggles to hold her own as her arms begin to tire. Digging deep, she musters the strength to push Rebellion back only to have the demonic blade shoved back to within a couple inches from her nose. She tries the effort one more time. Once she has enough breathing room, Bayonetta whips one leg up and fires a shot straight at Devil Dante’s head. Now is her chance. She shoves Rebellion aside and slashes the transformed Devil Hunter across the chest twice—first going up then down. Then she pumps a few rounds into his gut, staggering him back even more. Bayonetta may have staggered him, but her moment of relief is cut short when Devil Dante immediately throws himself back at her. She just barely blocks against the surprise attack. It’s not even a second when she realizes that the injuries she inflicted are gone, as if they had never happened.